Sacrilege ~ England

Turn Back Trilobite (1989)

Sacrilege were such an unusual band. I bought this album upon release, as it promised a progressive doom metal, similar to Candlemass. We'll get to its contents soon enough.

A few years later (1993) I stumbled on an album in a record store called Behind the Realms of Madness by a band called Sacrilege. It was on an American label, and after hearing it, I just presumed it was a different group with a similar moniker (which was very common back then - still is really). About a decade ago (2015) I revisited that title, and it just wasn't for me. One of the very few metal albums I let go from the collection in recent times. Received a lot of money for it too, about what you would pay today for a nice copy. So what was their sound like? RYM appends the genre as Stenchcore, an extension of Crust Punk. Neither of which I'm familiar with, but one can guess that's not the music Genius Hans gravitates towards. Noisy, messy, with little to hold onto. It's a highly rated album fwiw, which says that for the genre, it's a good one.

It was only then I was informed we were talking the same group as the LP I'm revisiting now. The Behind the Realms group weren't American, but English. Turn Back Trilobite couldn't be more different than its debut. I never heard the middle album by the group, and I understand it's a thrash album (want to hear it for sure). As noted in the first paragraph, Sacrilege had pivoted to a slower, doomier style. With female vocals. And she sings, not growls. On the first listen, and on this visit, I never was blown away by the album. It doesn't have the Candlemass crunch, and the compositions don't challenge the synapses all that much. 'Born Again' Black Sabbath is another benchmark. Some of the guitar solos veer towards space rock, which is a plus. It also seems a bit lifeless. I think the production is mostly the problem. It has this hollow sound, like in a tunnel. Lynda Simpson's vocals also come with a tape hiss in places. When blocking those elements out, the music holds up well. These guys needed to go one more album, with a different producer / engineer, and I think they would have had much more impact on the worldwide stage. According to RYM and Metal Archives, it's definitely their lowest rated album. So it hasn't aged that well either.

I've had this LP forever, so I think I'll hold onto it for nostalgia reasons. Surprisingly it doesn't sell for comparatively too much (~$30), and it appears that sealed cut-outs are still available some 36 years later.

Ownership: 1989 Metal Blade (LP)

1989 (acquired); 1/16/15; 10/13/25 (review)

10/13/25 (new entry)

CD Weedout - Heavy Metal (minus Prog Metal)

I had it in my head that I really liked power metal. In recent years I've learned there's a big difference between USPM and European power metal. The US variation led by the likes of Iced Earth I quite like. The European variety of Helloween and Blind Guardian, not so much. And when I bought a rather large selection of metal titles in 2015 / 16, most of them were in these categories. So I'll probably be getting rid of many more. But there's been plenty of surprises in that batch as well. In addition I'm throwing other metal styles in this post out of convenience.

Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy. 2010 Century Media. There's some quality thrash in here (a genre I seem to never tire of) but overall it fell into that familiar Gnosis 10 range.

Savatage - Streets A Rock Opera. 1997 Concrete. I was an early fan of Savatage going back to their Sirens album (on Par no less - still treasure that LP!). They lost their way in the middle 80s and returned very strong on Hall of the Mountain King (which I also still own on LP from back then). These later albums sit on the fence between power and prog metal. Even hard rock. I had no interest in this kind of music in 1997. By 2015 I could objectively understand why people liked it. No emotional pull for me though.

Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side. 1999 Century Media (1995). The prototype for the kind of European power metal that I enjoy, but only so much. I'll be keeping the early Helloween albums, and probably a couple of others, and that's enough for me.

Sinister Realm. 1999 Shadow Kingdom. On paper I'm a big fan of doom metal. In reality, what I really enjoy are the bands that mix in some tempo and progressive ideas, such as Candlemass and early Trouble. Or Black Sabbath of course. A lot of doom metal albums stay true to the slow pace and go more for the oppressive atmosphere than trying their hand at more compositional thought. I never really loaded up on doom for that reason. Sinister Realm defines this thought pattern. It's the type of album I enjoy, but not enough to keep.

Revelation - Release. 2009 Shadow Kingdom. As above.

Brocas Helm - Defender of the Crown. 2004 private. I thought I liked this one more than I did lol. I still think I do for their first 2 albums. It's old school metal, perhaps of the epic variety ala Manilla Road. Which if you've read this blog enough, is one of my favorite styles. But this album came across to me as perfunctory traditional heavy metal rather than innovative. This one sold fast.

Overkill - The Grinding Wheel

Witchfinder General - Death Penalty. 1982 England

Witchfinder General's debut is one of the oddities of the NWOBHM movement. While most bands took the Judas Priest footprint and merged it with the energy of punk, Witchfinder General found their inspiration in Black Sabbath. And they pretty much nail it. Sabbath were still an active concern, but this isn't emulated after the Dio fronted group, but rather a lookback to the Ozzy days. It's relatively straightforward but has better songwriting than the last 2 with Osbourne, recalling Sabotage without the proggy elements. What's great about Death Penalty is that each track features breaks which contain at least 2 or more riffs. A classic of its kind, Witchfinder General ironically were ahead of their time while looking backwards to obtain their sound.

Ownership: LP: 1982 Heavy Metal Records. Single sleeve. Clear vinyl. Acquired at a record store in Kansas City while there for a buddy's wedding (1993).

This Heavy Metal Records is not to be confused with Heavy Metal Worldwide, which was also operating out of the UK at this time. The cover is really silly and should not be taken seriously. On a positive note it features Joanne Latham, a very well known "glamour model" in her day - and she certainly does capture the imagination. However in today's cancel culture world, the album most assuredly has already been declared "encouraging violence against women". If you're interested in owning it, get your copy now, because they will likely be banned for sale in the next decade. Don't believe me? You watch. Discogs has already banned the selling of certain albums for less offenses.

9/9/93; 9/13/22 (new entry)

Trouble - Run to the Light. 1987 USA-Illinois

Trouble's 3rd album is very similar to the two efforts prior. There's more guest keyboards, and the pace is faster than your prototypical doom metal band, but essentially this is classic Trouble. Bone crushing riffs, and impassioned Christian vocals. Though concerning the latter, you have to study the lyrics to know that, it's not preachy in the slightest. This is where I get off the Trouble train. I've owned all their other works after this, but they're not to my taste, as they altered their sound.

Ownership: LP: 1987 Metal Blade. Single sleeve with lyric and merchandise inserts. Online acquisition from late last year. Similar story to the first album, in that I had my hand on this title to buy a few times, only to leave it back. I owned The Skull real time, but it didn't wow me enough to pursue the others further. I regretted that decision later, and now I'm paying for it. I found the first one at a Denver record store, but it wasn't cheap (but still a good deal). This one cost the exact same, but it was online, and what the heck, might as well snag it (perfect mint too). Won't likely ever find it in the wilds cheap. If I do, great, we can resell it....

new entry

Crypt Sermon ~ USA ~ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Ruins of Fading Light (2019)

The Ruins of Fading Light is the second release from Crypt Sermon and is a natural follow-up to the debut. From the Out of the Garden review, here are some thoughts about Crypt Sermon: "When I first saw the LP, I asked the record store owner what kind of music it was, and that cinched it for me. It reminded me of first discovering Manilla Road's Crystal Logic in 1983 - no way a cover like that would house anything but an interesting record. And I was rewarded with a fine album in the doom metal space. I'm not too keen on the funereal side of the genre and prefer some crunchy mid paced riffing, and that's precisely what Out of the Garden provides. Vocals are more matter-of-fact than the operatic Candlemass style, but otherwise the comparison holds true." How about that? If this is a genre that interests you, then Philadelphia's Crypt Sermon is an easy recommendation.

I've noticed that RYM has added a new genre, one they call Epic Doom Metal, named naturally enough after Candlemass. I agree with this designation, as I've always felt that Candlemass and their ilk were closer tied to the Manilla Road and Cirith Ungol's of this world than those that strictly adhere to the formulaic slow paced doom metal doctrine.

Ownership: 2019 Dark Descent (2xLP). Three sides of music. Gatefold with lyrics and recording details. Poster insert. 

7/28/21 (review)

Out of the Garden (2015)

Sometime in 1989, while standing in line at the grocery store, my eyes fixated on a new novel called Foucault's Pendulum by the Italian author Umberto Eco, who I was unfamiliar with even though he already had a best seller with Name of the Rose. I've never been a book-of-the-week kind of guy, but the premise was highly intriguing. And it introduced me to the world of Medieval secret orders, namely The Knights Templar, a topic I continue to be fascinated by. I find it humorous that I was introduced to such a weighty topic in the Tom Thumb grocery store line. Right next to The National Enquirer and packs of gum.

Not long prior to this discovery, I had also been introduced to a new metal band from Sweden called Candlemass. They played in a style called "doom metal", and it seemed to be a direct response to the era's preferred fast approach including speed metal and thrash. Calling upon classic Black Sabbath, but with a modern sense of heaviness and lyrical content, Candlemass blew the dust off of the 70s in a most exciting way.

Crypt Sermon is the combination of those two late 80s personal discoveries. When I first saw the LP, I asked the record store owner what kind of music it was, and that cinched it for me. It reminded me of first discovering Manilla Road's Crystal Logic in 1983 - no way a cover like that would house anything but an interesting record. And I was rewarded with a fine album in the doom metal space. I'm not too keen on the funereal side of the genre and prefer some crunchy mid paced riffing, and that's precisely what Out of the Garden provides. Vocals are more matter-of-fact than the operatic Candlemass style, but otherwise the comparison holds true. If any of what I said above resonates, you'll want to grab this one.

Ownership: 2019 Dark Descent (LP). Silver vinyl. Insert with Medieval paintings. 

11/17/20 (review)

Dark Descent is based in my current hometown of Colorado Springs, and the record store that Purple Peak Records partners with (What's Left Records) also works directly with the label. 

11/17/20 (new entry)

Trouble. 1984 USA-Illinois

I had my hands on this album a couple of times in the 80s while still in college, but just couldn't pull the trigger. I had recently purchased The Skull, and as mentioned in that post, I wasn't overwhelmed at the time. It's an album that has grown in stature with me some threefold. Obviously new copies of the debut were still around at normal prices. In retrospect, it probably was the right move, only in that the debut is not that dissimilar to The Skull. Perhaps a bit more Black Sabbathy and less mid paced 80s metal crunch, but essentially it's in the same ballpark. And because of that, I also think this album is great. They were pioneers of thoughtful slow metal, when just about everyone else was going a mile a minute - and not necessarily thinking it through either. Trouble has transcended time very well.

Ownership: LP: 1984 Metal Blade. Single sleeve. Recent acquisition from a local Denver record store. It was on the wall where the expensive and rare stuff is. And it wasn't cheap for sure, but still a bargain compared to what it's selling for online. Mint too and still in shrink. Even if I bought one new in 1985 or 86, it's likely it would not have remained in this good of shape!

new entry

Dream Death - Journey Into Mystery. 1987 USA-Pennsylvania

Much like the Gaskin album I recently posted about, Dream Death's name came about while researching top metal bands of the 80s. Now by 1987 it was much tougher to keep up with all the newer bands, but I was still trying. But I missed Pittsburgh's Dream Death, that's for sure. They were on New Renaissance, so for certain they were getting press. In any case, here's how Dream Death is summarily described: Doom Thrash. Now there's an oxymoron if I ever saw one. But ya know, after hearing Journey Into Mystery, doom thrash it is! It's a very strange sound they have going here. It's one part Celtic Frost (especially the vocals and overall muddy atmosphere) and one part Trouble. It's a fascinating blend, and it's definitely the kind of kvlt music that lingers long past its natural life. I've heard good things about their 2013 reunion album. May need to investigate that as well.

Ownership: LP: 2017 High Roller (Germany). Recent online acquisition. Single sleeve. Clear vinyl. Very nice reissue with a full color poster of the album cover plus the original lyric inner sleeve. No liners though. Originals aren't terribly expensive if in the market for one.

Trouble - The Skull. 1985 USA-Illinois

I bought this LP when it first came out, though I have to admit it didn't overwhelm me much. In 1985 I would have been looking for something heavier, and most certainly faster. The genre of Doom Metal was still in its infancy, even if the granddaddy of all metal bands themselves were technically the founders (Black Sabbath of course...). With prog and Krautrock calling my attention more and more in college, metal bands struggled to gain favor. This was the only Trouble album I bought back in the day. It more or less sat unwanted in the collection for some 25 years, until one day I plopped it on the turntable, and it finally opened up to me. There were a few metal LPs like that, ones I was fortunate to keep, mainly out of neglect. Hearing it on CD for the first time this week hasn't changed my perspective at all. There are some good riffs here, a few changes per track, and I really like Eric Wagner's unique preachy delivery. Much is said about the lyrical content - even back in the 80s they were referred to as "white metal", which was a reaction to the more prominent term "black metal". Religion is of course what we're talking about here, not skin tone. But it's an interesting juxtaposition, primarily because it comes from a rooted Catholic perspective rather than the expected hollow born-again nauseam. It's different for certain, and makes the music just that much more powerful. A fine album that continues to age well.

Ownership: LP: 1985 Metal Blade. The original LP is a single sleeve with a lyric inner sleeve. Cool artwork. As noted above I bought this new real time while still in college. 

6/11/20 (new entry)

Embrace ~ Canada ~ Toronto, Ontario

Coven the Eternal (1996)

I love discovering albums such as Coven the Eternal. Especially these 1990s albums that were released to an audience of no one in particular. Completely under the radar, without hype or praise to be found anywhere. Embrace were a band from Canada who are ostensibly part of the doom metal genre. The music is primarily slow paced, with female vocals and even some atmospheric keyboards. And crunchy metal guitars of course. The cynic in me says that doom metal is a great entry point for those still learning to play their instruments. But it's this kind of amateurism where the allure lies. Especially in the composition department, as who the heck knows what they will come up with, even if it's within the tight confines of the genre. Embrace are sincere, but not overly earnest as some of the more unintentionally comical metal bands can be. Something to be proud of years later to share with your kids and grandkids ("wow Grandma was a total subversive!"). There's nothing here that screams must own, but if it happens to waft by on some random sale list, grab it - especially if bands such as Saint Vitus and Candlemass are to your taste.

Ownership: 1996 private (CD). Acquired in 2019.

11/28/19 (new entry / review)

Avatarium - The Girl With the Raven Mask. 2015 Sweden

On paper, I could describe this as Candlemass meets my Post psychedelic, proto progressive with female vocals list. Fronted by the talented Jennie-Ann Smith, it comes as no surprise her influences are similar to the ones in that listing. The classic RnB, soul, and early rock singers. And it certainly doesn't hurt that she (wife of guitarist Marcus Jidell) is a stunningly beautiful woman, who could still go down the runway as she approaches age 40. And the fact that Ms. Smith isn't into metal much at all, promises a great contrast in style. Especially when you consider trusty organist Carl Westholm is on board. So Candlemass meets Goliath or Room or Julian's Treatment? Oh my heart be still!

Sigh. What we get is a Candlemass album with a talented singer that sounds like she's from 1970. Still not the worst idea I've ever heard, and that alone makes the grade here. I've been a fan of Candlemass since Epicus DM, so I can live with a new album under a different moniker. This is hardly the first time Candlemass has blended keyboards into their sound. That is, if you can hear them. I have to laugh at the thought of the classic Jon Lord / Ritchie Blackmore battles. If that's what is supposed to be happening here, then Jon Lord would have been knocked off his horse in the first 10 seconds and hauled away half dead.

Edling is playing it too safe here. He's in his comfort zone and feeding red meat to his audience. Jennie-Ann Smith often times seems compelled to sound like a female Messiah Marcolin. I would have preferred more development within the compositions, and perhaps break out some new styles and genres. Not in a mishmash way, but rather blend them together in the same way the 70s masters would do. The potential here is enormous. But for now, I can accept Avatarium as the new name for Candlemass.

Ownership: CD: 2015 Metalville (Germany). Jewel case. 12 page booklet with lyrics, photos, and recording details.

2/25/17 (new entry)

Blood Ceremony – Living with the Ancients. 2011 Canada-Ontario

I personally love the combination of female vocals, flute, organ, and fuzz guitar - so Blood Ceremony can almost do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. Jethro Tull is an inevitable comparison because of the flute, but there are no similarities beyond that. Personally I think bands like Tomorrow's Gift (first album), Goliath (UK 1970), Room, and Affinity are closer to the sound here than Tull. And if you don't know these bands, and enjoy Blood Ceremony, then cool - new albums for you to discover right? (though I feel compelled to mention that none of these groups have a metal component).

Ownership: CD: 2011 Metal Blade. Digipak with booklet. 

3/14/12 (new entry); 9/11/23